'Britain's not so Great for tourists

A NEW guide book has described Britain as overcrowded, overpriced and overrated.

The latest version of Lonely Planet's Great Britain guide warns that some of Britain's tourism industry "just doesn't deliver".
Britain's restaurants, accommodation and tourist attractions are described as "overpriced or lacking in quality" in the travel bible.
And author David Else adds that while the UK has become a great value destination for international visitors thanks to the weaker pound, Britons hoping to holiday at home were "struggling to take the strain" as "Britain ain't cheap".
On the plus side, he said there was no doubt Britain was "great" and one of the most fascinating places in the world to explore.
Unflattering comments in the guide include describing Stoke as a "sprawl of industrial townships tied together by flyovers and bypasses", while leafier Surrey is "made up of uninspiring towns and dull, sprawling suburbs".

Beautiful ... but Durham Cathedral is town's 'only attraction'

Stonehenge is a "haunting echo from Britain's forgotten past... despite the constant flow of traffic from the main road beside the monument, and huge numbers of visitors" and Dover is "down in the dumps". Essex is "home to chavs, bottle blondes, boy racers and brash seaside resorts" but "beyond the fake Burberry bags... there's a rural idyll of sleepy medieval villages and rolling countryside".
Durham is said to be "unquestionably beautiful, but once you have visited the cathedral and walked the old town looking for the best views there isn't much else to do".

Brash ... Essex is 'home to chavs, bottle blondes and boy racers'

However, it is not all bad, as the book praises London as "one of the world's great cities, if not the greatest" — provided you are happy to "fork out £30 in a restaurant for a 'modern European' concoction that tastes like it came from a can". Edinburgh is also rated as "one of the world's most fascinating cities" while Manchester is said to be "truly special".
David defended the guide, saying: "We're not a tourist board. We're not trying to promote any place, we're telling it how it is."